QB Joe Licata Auditioning for Bengals
- The Bills didn’t sign Williamsville South and UB quarterback Joe Licata following his rookie camp audition, but Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News reports that he’ll receive another chance. The signal-caller is set to try out for the Bengals on Monday, and Licata could potentially compete with Keith Wenning and Matt Johnson for the third QB spot.
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Bengals Minor Moves: Epps, Baldwin
- The Bengals made a minor change at the back of their 90-man roster, signing former Louisville offensive tackle Aaron Epps and waiving tackle Darryl Baldwin, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Baldwin was an undrafted free agent in 2015 who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, while Epps tried out for Cincinnati after going undrafted this year. Epps, who stands at 6’7″ and weighs 288 pounds, was a part-time starter at Louisville in 2014 and 2015. He started only 14 contests across his collegiate career.
Bengals Sign Nick Vigil
- Linebacker Nick Vigil, selected 87th overall, has formally signed his rookie contract with the Bengals, according to the team (Twitter link). Third-round picks like Vigil can sometimes take a little longer to sign, as agents and teams discuss cash flow and guaranteed money, but the Utah State product becomes the third Bengals draftee to finalize his rookie deal.
Bengals Sign Clayton Fejedelem
- The Bengals announced (Twitter link) the signing of seventh-round safety Clayton Fejedelem.
Bengals Add Four Tryout Players
- The Bengals announced that they have signed Louisville kicker Jonathan Brown, Utah linebacker Gionni Paul, Florida guard/center Trip Thurman, and Marshall cornerback Corey Tindal, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. All four players took part in the team’s weekend minicamp and outshined the other 15 UDFAs in attendance.
Bengals Sign Cody Core
- The Bengals made their first draft pick signing of the year by agreeing to terms with wide receiver Cody Core, whom they chose in the sixth round (No. 199 overall), Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets. Core’s deal will be for approximately $2.4MM and including a $127K signing bonus, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
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Latest on Dominique Easley
The market for former first-round pick Dominique Easley is seemingly heating up. Following reports last week that the Falcons were eyeing the former Patriots defensive lineman, several more teams have recently expressed interest. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that Easley has already had a couple workouts with teams, including a visit with the Bengals.
The 29th-overall pick in the 2014 draft was surprisingly waived by the Patriots in mid-April. Later reports indicated that the move was due to “philosophical differences on following injury programs.” The 24-year-old did struggle to stay healthy in New England, although the Patriots knew these concerns when they drafted Easley despite a torn ACL.
Other reports indicated that the release could be attributed to a lawsuit regarding Easley’s dog, while others have reported that the defender was “unreliable and immature,” as well as a “locker room cancer.” For what it’s worth, one of his former teammates expressed hope for the University of Florida product, noting Easley’s work ethic.
Easley has played in 11 games in each of his two seasons in the league, compiling a combined 25 tackles, three sacks, and one interception.
Bengals Announce 13 UDFA Signings
The Bengals formally announced their undrafted free agent signings this morning, tweeting out a list of 13 new rookie additions to their roster. After splitting their draft class fairly evenly between offensive and defensive players, the Bengals’ group of UDFAs leans more toward offense, with only four defenders among them. Here’s the full list:
- DE Ryan Brown (Mississippi State)
- RB Tra Carson (Texas A&M)
- G Alex Cooper (Houston)
- DT David Dean (Virginia)
- WR Alex Erickson (Wisconsin)
- WR Antwane Grant (Western Kentucky)
- LB Darien Harris (Michigan State)
- CB Darius Hillary (Wisconsin)
- QB Matt Johnson (Bowling Green) ($5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- RB Dyshawn Mobley (Eastern Kentucky) ($1.5K signing bonus, per Wilson)
- C Alex Redmond (UCLA)
- WR Alonzo Russell (Toledo)
- T John Weidenaar (Montana State)
Bengals Like WR Michael Thomas
- Several NFL teams think Ohio State wideout Michael Thomas is being undervalued, and will transition well to the NFL, according to Tony Pauline, who says the Chargers and Bengals are among the teams with interest in Thomas. Pauline adds within the same article that the Vikings aren’t a lock to draft a receiver in round one, and will consider Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche if he’s available.
Draft Rumors: Texans, Pats, Bears
The latest draft rumors from around the NFL:
- Texas A&M cornerback Brandon Williams worked out privately for Texans coach Bill O’Brien and also visited the Steelers, Patriots, and Bears, Wilson tweets. Williams bench pressed 225 pounds 18 times at the NFL scouting combine and is said to be turning heads with his athleticism. Wilson writes that the A&M product, who had 34 tackles and seven passes defended in 2015, is drawing third/fourth round grades from scouts.
- Michigan linebacker James Ross is drawing interest from the Colts, Raiders, Ravens, and Lions, Wilson tweets.
- Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson had visited the Packers, Browns, Bengals, Chiefs, and Raiders, Wilson tweets. Anderson caught a career-high 70 passes for 939 yards on his way to an all-conference selection in 2015. The 6’3″, 190-pound receiver ran a 4.28 second 40-yard-dash at his Pro Day.
- The Buccaneers and Chargers worked out Iowa State receiver Quenton Bundrage, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Bundrage, who posted a 4.5 second 40-yard-dash time, finished his senior year with 41 receptions, 548 yards, and one touchdown as a senior. He missed the 2014 season with a knee injury.
- Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton is drawing late interest from the Texans, Vikings, and Cardinals, Wilson tweets.